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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607982">Sunday, November 1st</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteralCaskOfAmontillado/pseuds/LiteralCaskOfAmontillado'>LiteralCaskOfAmontillado</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Christmas Crises [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:00:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,298</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteralCaskOfAmontillado/pseuds/LiteralCaskOfAmontillado</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Heresy Silvertongue is <i>that</i> Christmas bitch, much to the dismay of her older brother, who doesn't really care much for holidays at all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Christmas Crises [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sunday, November 1st</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tiberius Trochee blissfully rolled out of bed that Sunday morning. Last night, he’d gone to sleep after taking Heracles and Auggie trick or treating, and sharing delightful Guinesses with Auggie, Heresy, Vex, and Ava after that. Halloween had come and gone, and so too had the spirits they’d encountered last night.</p>
<p>	The eldest Pearse set about getting dressed for the day- at least partially. He kept his pyjama pants on, but pulled a clean shirt on from his closet and ruffled his own hair. After he kicked his discarded halloween costume further into his closet, Ty opened his bedroom door, stepping out into the chilly hallway to start his day.</p>
<p>	As usual, it seemed nobody else was awake, and therefore, nobody would fight him for the use of the better upstairs bathroom. Even though their parents were missing, there was no reason that he couldn’t make use of their bathroom.</p>
<p>	“‘November First, Go time? Smiley face?’ Lord, that’s a terrible feckin tree,” Ty read aloud, carefully running the razor over his skin.</p>
<p>	But then, he quickly stopped. A cold fear spread down his back like a ghostly intruder toying with him. The colour drained from his fair face, and he felt his mouth become painfully dry.</p>
<p> “Oh no,” he breathed shakily, snatching the yellow sticky note off of the mirror and carefully examining it.</p>
<p>	He wished he didn’t recognise the hand writing. The threat of “go time” would have been less terrifying if he hadn’t known the curved script like the back of his hand. He clicked his fingers together to summon a flame, and touched the tip of the note onto his fingers. Tiberius dropped his razor and the burning note into the sink, and tore off down the hallway.</p>
<p>	Shaving cream still dripping down his face, he shoved open his younger sister’s bedroom door. The sight before him shook him to his core. Heresy’s bed was neatly made- pillows fluffed, with her purple duvet pulled tightly over the bed. Her laundry was stacked carefully in her basket, and Ty could faintly detect the smell of evergreen and peppermint blowing quietly out of her diffuser.</p>
<p>	“Oh Christ, oh no no no,” he stammered, quietly shutting the door. </p>
<p>	If Augustus and Garrett weren’t awake yet, the harsh footfalls of their eldest brother would surely have done the job. Tiberius didn’t care that he still hadn’t finished shaving, or washed the shaving cream off. He needed to make sure that he wasn’t overreacting to the threatening note and the state of Heresy’s bedroom.</p>
<p>	The eldest of Oz and Octavian’s children slid into the kitchen, slamming to a stop on the refrigerator. A bowl clattered on the table, and a very frightened but sleepy Garrett Pearse sat at the table staring owl-eyed at his big brother.</p>
<p>	“Hey lil buddy, having a bit of cereal?” Ty asked breathlessly as he tried to regain his composure.</p>
<p>	The little blonde boy nodded nervously, his spoon hovering over his Frosties. He sniffled and pushed his bangs out of his eyes, but they still flopped uselessly down over his face again. Wide blue eyes regarded Tiberius carefully, and without having to verbally ask, Garrett knew something must be wrong.</p>
<p>	“That’s good, that’s good. Listen, have you seen Heresy this morning?” Tiberius asked, trying his best to maintain his composure. He still had plenty of shaving cream on his face.</p>
<p>	Garrett shook his head, somehow managing to shove a spoonful of cereal into his mouth as he did so.</p>
<p>	“Son of a bitch- bird. Bird, I said bird,” Ty laughed with a crooked smile, but Garrett wasn’t buying it.</p>
<p>	Shoveling another spoonful into his mouth, he cocked his head carefully, staring up at his brother from beneath his bangs as if to ask ‘what’s going on?’.</p>
<p>	“So, I know she wasn’t in much of a mood last year, because of mum and da, but did you know that Heresy really loves Christmas?” he asked his little brother, who moved his tiny hand back and forth.</p>
<p>	“They had always done a really good job of keeping her at bay until at least late November, but they’re… Well I mean they’re not here this year,” Ty explained as he slid into a seat beside his baby brother, “now I need your help. Did you see Heresy at all this morning?”</p>
<p>	Yet again, Garrett shook his head. Tiberius groaned loudly. Thinking it might alleviate his brother’s burden somehow, Garrett offered his brother a heaping spoonful of Frosties, that Tiberius graciously accepted. Garrett made tiny airplane noises as he guided his spoon upwards to Ty’s mouth, and Ty only briefly forgot about the festive reckoning that was about to rain down upon their home.</p>
<p>	“Thank you,” he nodded, chewing thoughtfully, “I appreciate your offering in these trying times”</p>
<p>	Ty grabbed a napkin and wiped the shaving cream off his face. He leaned back in his chair, slumped in defeat. He could always give Heresy’s mobile a ring, but he thought back to Christmas seasons past. She was a good detective, but she was also exceptionally gifted at covert Christmas operations.</p>
<p>	“Hey d’y’know one year Heresy left on her own at 4AM to go look for our Christmas tree on her own?” Garrett stared widely in disbelief, which made Ty laugh, “Yeah, s’true. I supposed if there’s one good thing about her obsession is that she knows how to pick a real good tree”</p>
<p>	The brothers sat there quietly a while longer, Garrett quietly eating his Frosties and drinking the sugary milk. Ty had begun to make tea for Auggie when he woke up, and Heresy whenever she got back. The house was eerily quiet, and he couldn’t shake the looming anxiety of Heresy’s return. He knew logically that he just had to wait and see, but as the eldest child, he remembered each excruciating detail of the holiday seasons of the past. Every single handmade wreath or garland. The borderline scientific placement of each ornament on the tree. The memories were very, very worth it, even if the preparation for them were excessive. </p>
<p>The halloween decorations hadn’t even been put away yet- a lanyard of paper ghosts still hung from the kitchen ceiling and Ty was fairly certain that the jack o’ lanterns on the front porch hadn’t even gone out yet. He still hadn’t ever figured out where Heresy’s love of Christmas came from. Even during the years when she wasn’t even living in Ireland, she’d send home a pile of photos that chronicled her Christmas creativity, much to the enjoyment of their family.Their mother had forgotten the holiday countless times- being a notorious pirate captain didn’t help this at all- and their father had loved the family time with his children, but that was the extent of his love for the December holidays.</p>
<p>	As he sipped his tea and watched Garrett quietly fill another bowl of cereal, Tiberius was alerted to the front door handle loudly shaking. Here it was- the moment of truth. He assumed correctly that behind the door was his sister, but he didn’t understand the nerve wracking, lock rattling phenomenon. </p>
<p>	“Heresy, you okay?” he called, as he set his tea down and walked into the front room, where he jumped as the massive front door came flying open. </p>
<p>	At some point, Garrett had clung to his side. The brothers watched the massive tip of an enormous pine tree being pushed into the family’s home. They didn’t even hear Heresy struggling- it was unlikely in any event- just watched as she methodically brought the tree inside all by herself. When the tree finally stood towering in the living room, she regarded them with a brilliant, almost celebratory, smile.</p>
<p>	“It’s Christmas time, boys!” Heresy sneered with celebratory glee, “now who wants to help me decorate?”</p>
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